Drinks and Promises
by GEM8
Summary: Doctor Cottle makes a promise he does not intend to break Doctor Cottle and William Adama have drinks before the good doctor departs for New Caprica. They discuss the future, love, and Jack makes a promise to Bill he doesn't intend to break.


Title: Drinks and Promises

Title: Drinks and Promises

Author: GEM

Date written: 8/13/07

Rated: T

Word count: 991

Story Timeline: season 2

Category: Drama

Warnings: tissues may be needed.

Characters: Cottle, with sprinkles of A/R

Summary: Cottle and Adama have drinks before the doctor goes down to New Caprica. They discuss the future, love and make a promise to each other.

Spoiler:

Author's Note: A great big thank you to Vangoghadmirer for her beta

Jack knocked on his hatch the same way he had for the past four Tuesday nights but this time he knew the outcome would be different. He had made his decision. Thankfully the sniveling idiot of a President didn't make it for him. It was his and it was the right one.

"Jack, thanks for coming." Bill stepped away to let the CMO and his old friend into his quarters.

"Don't I always." Jack walked over to the table and put down a bottle of New Caprica's finest.

Adama collected the glasses and cigarettes and they sat down together. "I hear you've made your decision." Bill poured them both a glass and tossed the lighter to Jack as he placed one of the cigarettes in his mouth.

"Yeah, I figure I might as well make it on my own before it was made for me. No offense."

Bill looked up at him, ripped the filter off his own cigarette and lit it. "None taken, Baltar doesn't want me down there anyway. I would just make trouble for him. It's probably why he sent Laura down there in the first place."

"Yeah, you know, you shouldn't rip the filters off these things. Do you want to die faster?"

Bill scoffed. "Says the great smoking doctor."

Jack pointed a finger in Bill's direction. "Not funny."

"Yeah, whatever. You want another?"

"I thought you wouldn't ask." Jack held his glass steady while Bill refilled it.

"Why?"

"Pardon me?" Jack asked while taking a drag ofhis cigarette.

"Why did you decide to go?"

"Most of the fleet is down there and they have no doctor. I think I can do some good down there. You'll probably be joining us in about what? A year."

"That's up to Baltar and we've already established what we both think of him."

"Got that right."

"It's a waste of valuable resources to keep shuttling me back and forth Bill."

Bill took a drink of New Caprica's Finest. "I'm not trying to talk you out of it."

"Good because you won't be able to." Jack lit his third cigarette of the night. "Do you miss her?"

"What?" Bill eyes were wide; of course Cottle would figure it out.

"Do you miss Laura?"

"Every day." Bill knocked back the contents of his glass and refilled it again. "Jack I need you to make me a promise. When you go down there for good watch over her for me. Protect her."

"You bet your ass I will and not just for you. You don't even have to ask. You know I will. I already do."

"Why don't you come down and see her?"

"I would but I can't."

"Why not?"

"Orders."

"From whom?"

"Baltar."

"You are going to follow orders given by that mother fraking idiot?"

"If I don't they will kill her."

"That Mother Fraking Son of a Bitch!"

"To put it mildly."

Jack topped off his glass and took another drink. "Very mildly. Does she know?"

"I'm not sure. I am definitely sure that it is the reason she is down there to begin with. Yes, she would have always gone back to teaching but not this soon. Not in these conditions."

"You really love her."

"Yes Jack I do."

"I promise, Bill I'll look out for her."

--

"I promise, Bill I'll look out for her."

The cylons had been there for a total of six months. The resistance was going strong and Laura Roslin was one of their number one targets. She'd been in detention for two months solid this time. Maya came and got him when the thugs dropped her by the school tent.

Laura was a mess. Bruises covered her body in the shape of whip marks, handprints and footprints. Without even having to look at the x-rays he knew she was recovering from numerous broken ribs, a fractured collarbone and wrist. Her fingers looked like they had been closed in a door jam.

From the way Laura was acting Jack assumed she had a mild concussion and had not eaten in days. He saw the look of concern on Maya's face. He did his best to calm the young girl but to no avail.

Jack didn't leave Laura's tent that night. He had made a promise to Bill and to Laura. He wasn't going to leave her, not tonight.

He tended to all her wounds. He became the one on the first night that woke her during her nightmares. He was the one who wiped her down with a cool cloth when her fever from the captivity and malnutrition surfaced. Jack was her rock in her storm of despair.

New Caprica was hell and Jack Cottle prayed every night for William Adama to come riding in like a knight in shinning armor. He never prayed so hard from him to come back until Laura was returned to them.

She was angry with William Adama for not visiting her. She was angry that he let her go but Jack learned early on that this was a private act for those who knew the two of them were together. Bill had always assumed she knew the true reason he didn't come to her but Jack was convinced when he saw her here the first time that she didn't know the truth.

He later told her the story Bill had shared with him before he left _Galactica_. She fell deafly silent which met to Jack that Baltar had indeed threatened her but she had no idea that Bill, the love of her life, had received a similar threat.

Jack stuck with her from the beginning to help her with her loneliness and to keep his promise. He wasn't going to let either of his friends down. He would protect her at all costs for William Adama. He would make sure that Laura Roslin stayed alive for William Adama if it was the last thing he did.


End file.
